In the manufacture of textile articles, the surface properties of a textile surface may desirably be changed in ways that consumers find pleasing. For example, a typical pile-containing textile may be treated to provide a sculptured (i.e. “carved”) three-dimensional surface geometry by known methods. Such methods include for example air jet carving, such as the Millitex® process by Milliken and Company. This process is capable of producing a more luxurious and appealing textile or fabric surface in part by dissolution or elimination of fibers upon various preselected regions of a pile-containing surface by application of very hot air.
Another method of providing a three-dimensional surface to a textile is by applying a chemical etch to the surface of the textile. Such a chemical etch may be strongly basic, or alternatively strongly acidic, to erode or eliminate pre-selected portions of a pile-containing surface. Such etching methods result in a surface having a three-dimensional surface geometry, with areas of reduced pile height corresponding to areas upon the surface of the textile which receive the chemical etch.
Chemical etching is practiced in the industry in certain applications by applying a caustic or acid material to a textile. This application results in dissolving or wearing away a portion of the fibers of the textile, which has the effect of carving the textile to achieve a three-dimensional geometry or appearance.
It is also desirable to provide color or shade variation in textiles. For example, consumers respond positively to textiles which have color contrast in predefined patterns upon a pile surface. Various methods in the industry are known for providing color shade patterns or variations upon a textile surface.
Color shade matching, or color testing, may be performed on textiles. In the industry it is common to measure color shade using a three-dimensional color space coordinate. That is, three dimensions of color may be measured. The first dimension L*, refers to a light or dark value. The second dimension of color is a red/green, and this second color space coordinate is designated a*. A negative (i.e. below zero) value for a* is a green, and a positive value for a* is a red. The third color space coordinate is b*. This coordinate is yellow/blue, with yellow being represented by a positive number, and blue being represented by a negative number. The method of color space measurement described as L*a*b* color space method was devised in about 1976 to provide more uniform color differences in relation to visual differences. Color spaces* such as these are now used throughout the world for color communication, and are known as generally accepted standards in the industry. A “color space” refers generally to a method of expressing the color of an object or a light source using some kind of notation, such as numbers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,897 to Stahl et al is directed to a process for preparing white or colored burn-out effects on textile materials containing hydrophobic fibers and cellulose fibers. In the process, one applies to the material a dyeing liquor or printing paste containing at least one disperse dyestuff.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,925 to Child et al is directed to a sculptured pile fabric having both a printed pattern and a sculpted surface having various pile heights. A chemical sculpting method is disclosed in which the height of the pile surface is selectively reduced in a pattern configuration, followed by an overall “dilute” dying process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,845 to McBride et al. is directed to a process for sculpting pile fabrics which comprises contacting the pile fabric surface with a fiber degrading composition. The resulting products produced by following the teachings of this particular patent do not show any substantial color contrast between etched and non-etched areas.
What is needed in the textile industry are improved products and methods for producing textile products which have desirable color contrast in predefined patterns, and which have desirable sculptured three-dimensional surface geometry. Textiles which have a color shade differential between (1) full pile height areas, and (2) carved or etched areas with reduced pile height, would be particularly desirable. Furthermore, methods of achieving such products in a more efficient manufacturing process are very desirable. The invention is directed to such products and methods for making such products.